The present work dealt with the in vitro control of callogenesis of brazilwood. The induction of callogenesis is the first step to obtain embryos and seeds. In order to control the callogenesis of Caesalpinia echinata, leaf discs of brazilwood in different developmental stages were used combined with the growth regulators 2,4-D (0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 mg/L) and 6-BAP (2,0 mg/L), cultivated in the Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with sucrose (30 g/L), myo-inositol (100 mg/L) and agar (7,5 g/L). The effect of 6-BAP (0, 0,5, 1,0, 2,0, 5,0 and 10 mg/L) on the growth of meristematic shoot apexes was also tested. Juvenile leaves cultured with low concentrations of 2,4-D (5 and 20 mg/L) and young leaves treated with high concentrations of 2,4-D (50 and 100 mg/L) produced callus, without presenting significant differences between light and dark. As for the oxidation control, the best results were provided by activated charcoal, which inhibited callogenesis. The transfer of callus from the MS culture medium with high concentrations of 2,4-D (5,0, 10,0 and 20,0 mg/L) to the medium without growth regulators stimulated the formation of pro-embryonic masses (PEMs). The media without growth regulators, 2,0 mg/L of 2,4-D and 0,5 mg/L of 2,4-D, increased the number of embryogenic calluses and pre-embryonic masses. There were structures similar to global and heart shaped somatic embryos only at 0,5 mg/L 2,4-D .
Caesalpinia echinata; callus; oxidation
